Combination of combined bars and coolers



July 11, 1961 w. PIESCHEL COMBINATION OF COMBINED BARS AND COOLERS FiledSept. 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WALTER L. PIESCHEL BY 3 4; 3

ATTORNEYS July 11, 1961 w. L. PIESCHEL v COMBINATION OF COMBINED BARSAND COOLERS Filed Sept. 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WALTERLPJESCHEL BY Z ATTORNEYS FIG.10.

United States Patent 2,992,054 COMBINATION OF COMBINED BARS AND COOLERSWalter L. Pieschel, Ludlow, Ky., assignor to The Coca- Cola BotflingWorks Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 9,1958, Ser. No. 759,993 4 Claims. (Cl. 312-111) This invention relates toconstruction of combineu bars and coolers and the like for dispensingrefrigerator beverages or the like.

An object of this invention is to provide a combination of a multiplenumber of combined bars and coolers which can be readily transported inknocked-down or folded condition and which can be quickly and easilyassembled and disassembled.

A further object of this invention is to provide coupling means betweeneach of a plurality of said combined bars and coolers which permitsquick and easy assembly and disassembly of the combination of thecombined bars and coolers and which rigidly connects individual unitstogether.

A further object of this invention is to provide a portable light-weightenclosure in which the combined bars and coolers are connected andstrongly held together by coupling means and to an overhead assemblyabove said bars and coolers, thus producing an attractive dispensingunit in appearance, while rendering protection to the combined bars andcoolers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a plurality of couplingmeans holding together a plurality of combined bars and coolers in whichthe coolers can be of various sizes and shapes.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a plurality ofcoupling means for the bars and coolers which will permit a plurality ofcombined bars and coolers such that the general configuration thereofmay be of a square, a pentagon, hexagon, or of any other kind of regularor irregular polygon.

The above and other objects and features of this invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains,from the following detailed description, and the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of an enclosure unit of combined barsand coolers and overhead assembly constructed in accordance with anembodiment of this invention, with a bar hanging curtain partly brokenaway in front for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a coupling means asapplied to an open side of a combined bar and cooler, a curtain whichforms a part of the enclosure unit being partly broken away for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a coupling means asapplied to two adjacent combined bars and coolers;

FIG. 4 is a plan view partly in section of the coupling meansillustrated in FIG. 2, taken along line IVIV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the coupling means illustrated in FIG. 3, takenalong line VV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view partly in section showing a part of thecoupling means and leg portions illustrated in FIG. 5, with couplingmeans in raised position ready for swinging to released position;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in section, similar to FIG. 6, with one ofthe'leg portions partly swinging to released position;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view partly in section similar to FIGS. 6 and 7,showing the leg portions at the moment of freeing;

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FIG. 9 is a plan view taken on the line IX--IX in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the unit with the canopy removed;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view, partly broken away, of part of theoverhead assembly, looking in the direction of arrows XI-XI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an elevational view partly section taken on the line X[IXI Iof FIG. 10; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of the arrowsXIII-XIII of FIG. 10.

In the following detailed description, and the drawings, like referencecharacters indicate like parts.

FIGS. 1 through 3 show a combination of combined bars and coolers withan overhead assembly therewith which is constructed in accordance withan embodiment of this invention. The bars 20, 21 and 22 and theirrespective cooler receptacles 23, 24, and 25 are united together intoone combination unit by the use of upright props 26, 27, 28, and 29,spandrel bars 30 and 31, and linking or coupling means such asillustrated by 32 and 33 in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, as will be morefully described hereinafter. 'Ihe corners of a canopy 34 are measured tofit upon the modified upper ends of the upright props 26, 27, 28 and 29,among other elements of the overhead assembly, with a back curtain 35hanging from or made integral with it. A lower bar hanging curtain 36,shown here to be single-pieced, hangs beneath and Within the frameworkof the bars 20, 21, 22, 30 and 31 from suitable means such as rotatablebuttons or hooks 37 of the type shown in FIG. 2, as fastened to theinner side of a front vertical flange 3-8 which constitutes part of thebar 22. Elongated slots 39 (only one of which is shown) are provided incurtain 36 through which each button or hook 37 passes and thence isrotated to secure curtain 36 to the bar framework or flange 38. Thecanopy 34 and the curtains 35 and 36 provide an attractive appearance tothe viewer of the combination of combined bars and coolers.

As shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 12, and 13, the weight and displacement of thecanopy 34 is carried and distributed by angle-shaped support rods 39,40, 41, 42, an inverted rib or strip 43 with each half thereof slopingfrom its center 44 as in an inverted V towards rods 40 and 42, and themodified ends of upright props 26, 27, 28, 29 which extend thereto.Sloping downwardly from its center point 44, particularly shown by FIGS.12 and 13, the connection of rib 43 to rods 40 and 42 is accomplished,as illustrated by FIG. 12 with respect to rod 42. An end portion 45 ofrib 43 engages angle-shaped rod 42. A pin 46 mounted on the rib 43extends through an aperture in the horizontally-displaced flange of rod42 while an outer clamp finger 47 engages the exterior side of thevertically-displaced flange of rod 42.

The ends of horizontally-displaced angle-shaped sup port rods 39, 40,41, and 42, are mounted upon the top portion of the modified ends of theupright props 26, 27, 28, and 29. The props are made of strong,light-weight aluminum tubular piping. The props are arcuately fashionedtowards their respective upper ends 48, 49, 50, 51, as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 10, so as to produce a substantially horizontal portion onboth the top and bottom areas of these respective upper ends, asillustrated by FIG. 11 with respect to end 49. Mounted upon said topportion of each of these ends, as illustrated by FIG. 11 with respect toend 49, are the ends of flanged rods 39 and 40. A portion of thevertically displaced flange of rod 40 is cut away at 52 to provideadequate clearance of the rod 40 with prop end 49 and with the other rod39 in order for proper engagement therewith, as similarly done at allthe ends of rods 39, 40, 41, 42. An upright pin 53, preferablycylindrical, is attached to the rod 40 at each of its ends, one end ofwhich is shown in FIG. 11. A sleeve 54, preferably cylindrical,ofgreater length than the outside diameter of prop 49, is mounted therod 39 at each of its ends, one end of which islshown in FIG. 11. Bothpin '53 and sleeve 54 extend perpendicularly from their respectiveflanged rods. Apertures appear in the substantially fiat horizontalportions of the top and bottom areas of tubular prop end 49 and arediametrically opposed to each other therein. Thus, in connecting theflanged rods 39 and 210 to the prop 'end 49 in this part of the overheadassembly, the sleeve 54 is inserted completely through thediametrically-opposed apertures of prop end '49, the pin 53'is thenceinserted through sleeve 54 with its end 55 extending and exposed belowthe end 56 of sleeve 54. A cotter'key or pin '57 is the means providedto secure pin 53 to sleeve54 and modified prop end "49 upon assembly ofthe overhead elements. Cotter key or pin 57 may be held by a chain 58 toflanged rod 40 by means of rivet 59 for retaining purposes. Thus, bysuch connection and attachment, the overhead assembly is mounted andattached to provide a suitable base for the use of canopy 234. t H

The other ends of the vertical props 26, 27, 28, 29, constitute groundor base supporting means to hold together the combined bars and coolerswith the aid of coupling means 32 and 33. As shown in FIG. 2, prop 29extends through an aligning sleeve 60 attached to the bar 22. The sleeveis freely movable on and encircles prop 29 and has integral therewith aplate 61 extending along and parallel to the length of a dependingflange 62 which is flush with the table portion end of and whichconstitutes part of bar 22. Plate 61 is held rigidly to flange 62 bysuitable means such as screws 63 inserted through plate 61 intodepending flange 62. Beneath aligning sleeve6tl is another sleeve 64,which is mounted upon an end of spanner rod 65 and which encircles prop29, with a similar sleeve (not shown) mounted on the other end ofspanner rod 65 adapted to encircle prop -26. Spanner rod 65 spans therear opening of the enclosure, the height of which is determined by theparticular engagement of set screw 66 against prop 29 through sleeve 64and a second set screw (not shown) against prop 26 through the sleeve(not shown) encircling prop 26.

Near the bottom of prop 29, coupling means'32 extends from said prop toa vertical support or leg 67 of the combined bar and cooler. Thespecific construction of the combined bar and cooler may be found in mycopending application, Combined Bar and Cooler, Serial No. 734,297. Thecoupling 32, as shown in FIG. 4, comprises a hOlding sleeve 68 which isfitted to freely move on and encircle prop 29, an arm 69 integrallyextending from said sleeve 68 and suflicient in length to be connectedto a jaw 70. The jaw 70 is adapted to gird uprightleg portions 71 and 72of the vertical support or leg 67, which supports one end of the coolerreceptacle 25. The leg portions 71 and 72 are arcuate and divergedownwardly as shown in FIG. 2. While holding sleeve 68 encircles prop 29and is freely movable thereon, jaw 70 encompasses divergingleg portions71 and 72 at a point of relatively close physical proximity of said legportions to each other, thereby causing jaw 70 to gird the leg portionssimultaneously through the opening formed by jaw grippers 73 and 74.Upon such girding by jaw 70, coupling means 32 is adapted to shiftdownwardly along the length of prop 29, thereby causing jaw grippers 73and 74 to engage the diverging inside faces of leg portions 71 and 72 ata point of relatively remote physical proximity of said leg portions toeach other,'producing a tight seizure of the diverging leg portions 71and 72 to jaw 70. Such engagement, illustrated in FIG. 4, produces asnug, sturdy fit of coupling means '32 to the combined bar 22 and cooler25 and vertical prop 29. It is to be noted that prop 29 is now properlyaligned with respect to the said combined bar and cooler in preparationfor assembly of the overhead assembly elements heretofore described. Tofree jaw 70 from leg portions 71 and 72, coupling means 32 is shiftedupwardly along the length of prop 29. That part of prop 29 belowaligning sleeve 60 is capable of being swung away from cooler 25 and legmember 67 because of free play existing in aligning sleeve 60, therebyresulting in the jaw 70 either being released or detached from orencompassing leg portions 71 and 72.

An interlocking, connecting and supporting relationship between the twoimmediately adjacent cooler receptacles is provided by a coupling means33. As viewed in 'FIG. 3, the coolers may be of the single typedescribed in my application Serial Number 734,297, supra, or one of samemay be used in conjunction with "a cooler of the type shown by cooler24. Rather than being of relatively narrow and deep construction as iscooler 23, cooler 24 is of wide and shallow construction. It issupported by legs at each of its ends, as illustrated by leg 76 at oneend, and is formed from a length of 'suitably strong tubing bent to"substantially an inverted T- shape. The ground or base cross member 77of leg 76 is adapted to rest on the ground with upright end or divergingleg portions 78 and 79 integrally mounted on each end thereof. Theupright diverging "leg portions 78, 79 may be held in engagement by anysuitable means, such as an angle iron 80 riveted or bolted thereto bymeans of rivets or bolts 81. Angle iron "80 may also be used to supporta cooler of dimension shown by cooler 23. An angle-shaped support member82 is riveted, bolted, or otherwise fastened to the inside faces ofmembers 78, 79 above angle iron 80 and is in engagement with the bottomof cooler 24. I Leg portions 78, 7 9"continue to extend above supportmember 82 and into an elongated sleeve fixture 83, which is rigidlyattached to the exterior side 84 of cooler receptacle 24 'by'suitablemeans such as screws 85 passing through flange 86 of fixture 83into the side '84. Thus, the extent to which the leg portions 78, 79extend into sleeve fixture 83 is determined by the position ofsuppontmember 82 while the position of support member 82 effectsa'particular height for the cooler receptacle '24.

In order that the bar-hanging curtain 36 may hang clear from the widereceptacle 24 by means of bar 21, offset tosleeve fixture 83 and towardsthe hanging portion of the bar asvi'ewed in FIGS. 1 and 3 is a secondelongated sleevefixturef87 identical in'con'strucrtion and mounted inthe same manner upon side or wall 84 as is fixture 83. Into fixture 87descend leg portions '88 ahd 89 which 'in turn'suppont bar 21 in thesame fashion and by the same construction as is embodied in my "patentapplication noted, supra. The extent to 'v'v'hichleg portions 88, '89dcsoend'into fixture 87 deterr'nined by the relative position or angleiron sup ort 90 mounted upon the inside faces of leg portions 88, '89,'in'a similar'fashion of mounting as supportriiemlj'er 82 is mounted onthe inside faces of leg portions 78, 79.

The bottom surfaces of angle iron support'90 over and upon thehorizontal flanged surface 9180f cooler receptacle'24. "Thus, the heightof ba'r21' is determined by such relative position of angle iron support90 on leg pontions'88, '89, though support 90is-in constant engagementwith 'flanged surface 91. Such "height "preferably corresponds with theheight of bars 20'and '22.

Coupling means 33, viewed in FIGS. 3 and 5, is adapted to coact witheach'of said combined'bars of coolers and comprises a T-shaped tie orcross bar 92, jaws 93 and 94, eachof which is at one of the ends of thehead of the T,"an extension-arm 95 constituting then-rink of the T, anda retaining sleeve member 96 imegrau nbrrtfin and coincident with themeanderin tiunk'portion,

said rtainni sleevameaiberasbeingtaapraw ea move upon and encirclevertical prop 27, thereby e fiecting, also, corresponding movement ofjaws 93 and 94. In other words, upon relative rotation occurring betweenretaining sleeve member 96 and vertical prop 27, the jaws revolve aboutvertical prop 27. Upon retaining sleeve member 96 reciprocating uponvertical prop 27, said jaws 93 and 94 move upwardly and downwardly in asimilar manner. Upward movement permits an expeditious encompassing ofthe respective leg portions by the respective jaw grippers 101, -102 and103, 104, on jaws 93, 94, the opening between which being of such sizethat only one leg portion will pass through the opening at any one time.To illustrate, diverging leg portions 98 and 99 of cooler 23 are firstencompassed by the grippers of jaw 93 while the cross-bar in itsentirety has been shifted to an upward position in which said divergingleg portions 98 and 99 are at a point of relatively close proximity.Similarly, diverging leg portions 78 and 79 of cooler 24 at a point ofrelatively close proximity, are encompassed by the grippers of jaw 94.Upon the jaws of the coupling means having encompassed their respectiveleg portions, [the cross-bar is moved or shifted downwardly, to producea tight seizure of the respective diverging leg portions by therespective grippers of their respective jaws.

FIGS. 6 through 8 illustrate the operation by which the coupling means33 is relatively detached or released from and, in reverse, relativelyconnected to the diverging leg portions of cooler receptacles incombination with each other, as well as with the bars and the overheadassembly heretofore described. Firstly, the coupling means 33 is movedor shifted to its upward position at which the leg portions are inengagement whereby jaw grippers 93 and 94 may encircle their respectiveleg portions 98, 99 and 78, 79. Leg portions 98, 99 of the cooler 23,are positioned towards a corner 100 of jaw 93 by thrusting that part ofthe cooler thereto if not already in such position. At this point,cooler 23 to which members 98, 99 are secured is pivoted generally aboutthe jaw 93, as a result of which leg portion 98 rotates through the jawopening formed by the two opposing grippers 101 and 102 of jaw 93 (FIG.7). Leg portion 99 is carried along behind leg portion 98 through saidopening which is sufiiciently large to allow but one leg portion to passthrough at any one time. Thus, in FIG. 8, the leg portions 98, 99 may bemoved clear of jaw 93. A similar operation may be carried out withrespect to leg portions 78, 79, and jaw 94. Hence the detachment of acombined bar and cooler from another may be accomplished. To unite thecombination of combined bars and coolers, the reverse operation iseffected.

Spandrel bars, such as 30 and 31, may be linked to the bars 20, 21, 22to add a continuous appearance thereto. For illustrative purposes, FIG.9 shows spandrel bar 30 which comprises a generally triangularly-shapedflat board portion 105, which is flush with the top of bars 20 and 21,and is held thereto by means of bolts and nuts 106 and 107,respectively, passing through depending flanges 108 and 109 of spandrelbar 30 and the depending end flanges 110 and 111 of bars 20 and 21. Theupright prop 27 extends through spandrel 30* and is held convenientlythereto by means of bar bracket 112 (FIG. 1) screwed thereto. Thus,upright props 27 and 28 are properly aligned with reference to theoverhead assembly heretofore described, by such means as coupling means33 and spandrel bar 30.

It is to be noted that the physical embodiment of this inventionillustrated in the drawings, represents but a rectangular configurationof the combined bars and coolers. However, the invention is not limitedto a rectangular configuration, but may include a configuration of anyregular or irregular polygon, i.e., of equal or unequal sides.Therefore, an important characteristic of this invention is the angleestablished at the intersection of a line of extension from the minoraxes of each of the jaws of coupling means 33. For a rectangularconfiguration,

straight angles, wherein N represents the number of sides in thepolygon, and X is said angle to be determined. Thus, in a regularpolygon of 5 sides,

or 108. In the case of irregular polygons, such an angle would best bemeasured directly from a scale model of the enclosure configuration,i.e., the angle between adjacent coolers. The exact dimensions ofspandrel bar 30, the cross bar 92 of coupling means 33, and the trunk ofsaid T-s-haped coupling means would vary, in length and in size, withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention. It follows that said trunkor extension arm 95 need not be fixed at right angles, as shown in FIG.5, to cross bar 92 for application of this invention to a particularphysical embodiment.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a pair of elongated receptacles, vertical supports atends of the receptacles for supporting said receptacles, an upright propadjacent to and spaced from adjacent ends of the receptacles, each ofsaid supports having downwardly diverging leg portions, and a. linkingmember which comprises a sleeve mounted on the prop :for up and downmovement thereon, and a cross bar attached to said sleeve and havingjaws mounted on the ends thereof, each jaw receiving and releasablyholding the downwardly diverging leg portions of one of said supports.

2. A portable knockdown bar enclosure comprising a. plurality of barunits, an upright prop associated with each of two adjacent units ofsaid bar units by being located between the adjacent ends of the saidtwo adjacent units of said bar units, each of said bar units havingvertical supports at each of said units ends, each of said supportscomprising upper portions and lower portions, said lower portionsdiverging downwardly from the upper portions, and a coupling meansrigidly connecting and strongly holding together each two adjacent unitsof said bar units whereby the enclosure is of a rigid and strongconstruction, said coupling means comprising a cross bar having aretaining sleeve member mounted thereon, said sleeve member mounted onsaid upright prop for up and down movement thereon, and a jaw on eachend of said cross bar, each jaw receiving and releasably girding thediverging lower portions of each of the vertical supports adjacent tothe upright prop, whereby said bar units and upright prop are linkedsecurely together.

3. In a portable knockdown enclosure comprising a plurality ofcombination bars and coolers and an upright prop associated with eachadjacent two of said combination bars and coolers by being locatedbetween the adjacent ends of said adjacent two of said combination barsand coolers, each of said combination bars and coolers having a verticalsupport at each of its ends, the lower portions of each of said supportsdiverging downwardly thereof, a coupling means rigidly connecting andstrongly holding together each of said adjacent combination bars andcoolers whereby the enclosure is of a rigid and strong construction,said coupling means comprising a cross bar, a retaining sleeve mountedon an extension arm thereof and encircling said prop, said sleeveadapted to rotate and reciprocate upon the upright prop, and a jawmounted on each end of said cross bar, each jaw tightly seizing thediverging lower portions of a support adjacent to said upright propwhereby the adjacent combination bars and 7 cool'is and said uprightprop are connected and securely held together.

4. In combination with a portable knockdown bar enclosure havingvertical'support's, coupling means securely holding together theportable knockdown bar enclosure thereby resulting in said enclosurebeing of a rigid and strong construction, said means comp-rising a crossbar, a retaining sleeve member mounted on an extension arm thereof forrotational and reciprocating cooperation with an upright .prop, saidcross bar having a pair of jaws each of which is mounted at an endthereof and each of which is adapted to tightly gird downwardly di- 8verging portions of one of the vertical supports adjacent the uprightprop,whe'reby each of said jaws securely g'irds the diverging portionsof a vertical support'o'f one ofsai'd b'arunits adjacent the uprightprop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS904,253 Forster Nov. '17, 1908 985,309 Van Vorce Feb. 28, 1911 1,798,810Rice Mar. 31, 1931 2,836,860 Staropoli June 3, 1958 2,867,853 LindgrenIan. 13, 1959

